Penstemon is a large genus of the expanded plant family Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae) native to most of North America south to Guatemala. Many species, varieties and cultivars have been named and described. Penstemons are grown as flowering ornamentals.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon hybrid named ‘Red Headed Beauty’. The cultivar originated in an open pollinated group of seedling offspring from a natural hybrid between Penstemon palmeri and P. parryi growing in a cultivated area near Tucson, Ariz. The new plant was selected by Russ Buhrow, a citizen of the United States of America residing in Tucson, Ariz., from the seedlings of a Penstemon interspecies hybrid. This hybrid is believed to have been crossed as an F1 hybrid with pollen of Penstemon superbus, resulting in several plants believed to be (Penstemon palmeri×parryi)×superbus. To the inventor's knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of this hybrid. One of the offspring proved to be particularly vigorous and had exceptional color and is the object of this application.